Supreme Court Reduces Judicial Practice Requirement to One Year, Introduces Training and Clerkship The Supreme Court of India has significantly modified the eligibility criteria for entry into the judicial service, reducing the mandatory legal practice requirement from three years to one year. The court also introduced a structured training and clerkship period for selected candidates, while waiving the practice condition for a transition period. The decision, announced on August 21, 2026, addresses concerns raised by legal professionals and graduates about the abrupt reinstatement of the three-year practice rule in May 2025. The court substituted the earlier three-year practice requirement with a one-year requirement for candidates appearing in exams notified after April 1, 2027. Selected candidates will undergo one year of training at the State Judicial Academy, followed by a one-year clerkship under the supervision of judges. For candidates in the transition period—those who applied between May 20, 2025, and March 31, 2027—the court waived the practice requirement. These candidates are eligible to appear for the Civil Judge Junior Division exams without prior legal practice but will be appointed as trainee judicial officers for one year. They will also complete a one-year clerkship, with the first six months under the supervision of Principal District Judges or Higher Judicial Service members and the remaining six months under High Court judges. The court emphasized that the sudden restoration of the three-year practice rule without transitional arrangements had caused hardship for young lawyers and law graduates.#supreme_court_of_india #chief_judge_of_india #justice_august_george_masih #justice_k_vinod_chandran #state_judicial_academy
